For those in or near NYC, a notable event: Fear researcher Joseph LeDoux, whom I profiled a while back in Scientific American Mind, will lecture about fear — and then, fearlessly, play with his R&R band, ‘The Amygdaloids.’ (The amygdala is the brain’s fear center.)

I can’t make it, much to my chagrin, but having met LeDoux — who is highly enjoyable company and has done Nobel-Prize-level work defining fear’s neuralogical pathways — I know this will be a highly fascinating, fun, and funny evening.

In the world today it can often seem like there is much to fear, making it more important than ever that we understand how that fear makes us feel. Renowned NYU neuroscience researcher Joseph LeDoux presents his latest research about the mysteries of emotions and the workings of the brain, with a particular focus on how the brain reacts to fear.

To demonstrate some different points about the brain and emotion, LeDoux will then also play live with his band, The Amygdaloids. The groups is made up of scientists and musicians, including environmental biologist Tyler Volk, to perform songs about love and life inspired by the lab. You can hear samples of their music on our Facebook page in the music area.

LeDoux is a University Professor and Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, and a member of the Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology at NYU. His work is focused on the brain mechanisms of emotion and memory. Read the recent article on LeDoux’s work from Scientific American.